1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a device and methods for nonviolent defense and training against violent persons and a device for use during water activities. In particular, the device may be utilized to intervene in violent conflicts, to cradle, restrain or separate persons, to immobilize persons, to protect persons from other instruments, to disarm others, and to provide water safety during water activities.
2. Description of Related Art
School teachers, paramedics, counselors, lifeguards, law enforcement officers, security personnel, psychiatrists and psychotherapists and similar persons in authority often are required to restrain, defend against or separate violent persons, or even immobilize persons suffering from loss of motor control during seizures or other medical or drug induced incidents. As such, these individuals rely on non-lethal devices to protect and preserve themselves and others without unnecessarily jeopardizing the public safety. Such devices include handcuffs, straitjackets, blanket wraps, pepper spray, etc., that have long been used to physically restrain individuals. Time and circumstance dictate the use of the appropriate device. Teachers, for example, are often required to separate students engaged in violent conflict and oftentimes are required to physically intervene, having only their own body for protection. An arresting law enforcement officer, on the other hand, may use handcuffs and/or hog-tying to restrain both the hands and/or feet of the arrested individual.
In any event, flailing, kicking, or other violent movements, can prove most difficult to any intervening individual. Indeed, a high level of manual restraint against the violent persons is frequently required before the violent person can be subdued, often resulting in further injury to the violent person, bystanders and/or the intervening individual.
A lifeguard may encounter violent conflicts and otherwise dangerous situations both on land and in water. On the beach or at a pool, situations that the lifeguard may deal with are similar to those discussed above with respect to teachers. In water, however, circumstances change significantly, specifically with water rescue. Persons of all ages and aquatic capabilities engage in a variety of water activities including swimming, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, boogie-boarding, etc. In performing these activities, people tend to rely on life jackets, buoys, kickboards, etc. Although certain activities, extreme surfing for example, can produce greater risk, any activity performed in water has the potential for personal injury or even death. Therefore, a continued need to rely on water safety devices exists. In particular, a device which could provide an individual the ability to suppress quarrels and which could provide water safety during water activities would be very desirous.